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"A Space to Talk Even as Public Forums Shrink"

Young people in China are flocking to so-called "academic pubs" in search of freedom of expression. On the 18th (local time), the US CNN reported, "In recent months, academic pubs where Chinese scholars from universities around the world give free lectures have appeared in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou."

Chinese youths debating at an academic pub. CNN broadcast footage

These places are considered spaces where young people can freely engage in intellectual conversations amid the shrinking public sphere due to government censorship. Lectures cover a variety of topics, from politically harmless subjects like cats in ancient Chinese paintings to sensitive issues such as feminism, which is often censored online.

Yang Xiao (32), who attended an academic pub in Shanghai, told CNN, "I was amazed and completely absorbed in a lecture where a Chinese PhD student from a prestigious American university spoke candidly about how state power operates, especially the use of indiscriminate violence." Yang said, "I was completely shocked when he explicitly mentioned (state) violence," adding, "In China, you cannot openly talk about the nature of the state." Although China was not directly mentioned, critical voices could be heard.

Cinnamon Wu, who majored in arts, attended a lecture at an academic pub in Beijing on the topic of "The Development of Chinese-American Literature" and said, "I was surprised when some attendees criticized 'political correctness' in American popular culture." This was because she had almost no experience hearing conservative views about the US in offline spaces. Regarding this, lecture organizer Jerry Zhang explained, "The clash of diverse opinions is part of the value of these academic pub lectures."

These academic pubs are reminiscent of the UK's free scientific discussion gatherings such as the "Cafe Scientifique" started in 1998 or the three-day science festival "Pint of Science." Lei Ya Won, a sociology professor at Harvard University, said, "The rise of academic pubs shows that despite the shrinking public sphere, Chinese youth are still seeking places where they can talk and share ideas."

However, concerns about government crackdowns have also been raised. Last year, a Chinese comedian was heavily fined by his agency after making jokes related to the Chinese military. Additionally, in September, Chinese artist Gao Jian was arrested for works criticizing the Cultural Revolution, which was mentioned on social networking services (SNS), adding to worries about the safety of academic pub attendees.